Registers – Records
Reexamination Certificate
1998-07-14
2001-01-23
Frech, Karl D. (Department: 2876)
Registers
Records
C235S380000
Reexamination Certificate
active
06176431
ABSTRACT:
FIELD OF THE INVENTION
This invention relates to a method for producing a data, carrier with a card body having two plane-parallel main surfaces and at least one element, for example an electronic module or magnetic stripe, etc., disposed therein. The invention furthermore relates to an apparatus for carrying out this method.
BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION
In the past various methods for producing data carriers of the abovementioned type have become known. For example multilayer data carriers are produced by connecting individual layers under the action of heat and pressure, which is generally referred to as the laminating technique. Elements to be incorporated in the card body can thereby be inserted in the layer structure in specially provided recesses before lamination. It has also been proposed to stamp single-layer card bodies out of a foil, whereby a recess can be simultaneously produced, e.g. for receiving an electronic module.
Finally it has become known e.g. from EP 0 277 854 B1 to manufacture data carriers with an embedded electronic module by injection molding. One provides an injection mold having a cavity whose dimensions correspond to those of the data carrier. Before injection of the plastic compound the electronic module is placed in the cavity on one half in such a way that the contact surfaces of the module lie flat against the half of the cavity and are fixed in this position by suction air. After that the plastic compound is injected via a lateral edge of the mold to form the card body so that the module is surrounded in form-fitting fashion by plastic compound. Suitable shaping of the casting compound of the electronic module causes the latter to be anchored reliably in the card body. The data carrier can now be removed from the mold.
To guarantee reliable fixation of the electronic module in the cavity during the injection process one can take additional measures. For example the module can be urged by a spring-mounted plate against the cavity half to which it is fixed which is lowered during injection of the plastic compound.
One obtains uniform and complete filling of the cavity with plastic material in injection molding by injecting the material into the cavity at very high pressure. This involves relatively elaborate apparatus since one must produce the high injection pressure, on the one hand, and apply high locking forces to the cavity to prevent its halves from “spreading apart” during the injection process, on the other hand. This makes injection molding tools quite expensive, so that injection molded articles in general and injection molded data carriers in particular can frequently be manufactured rationally only in high numbers.
SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION
It is therefore the problem of the invention to propose a new method and an apparatus for producing single- or multi-layer data carriers in which one of the abovementioned elements is optionally embedded.
This problem is solved by the characterizing features of the independent claims.
The basic idea of the invention is that at least part of the data carrier is produced by the pressing method by pressing plastic granular material or powder. The elements to be optionally embedded in the card body are preferably incorporated at the desired position in the plastic granular material or powder located in the pressing apparatus, and the plastic granular material or powder only then pressed.
The new method thus has the decisive advantage that the elements to be embedded in the card body are already surrounded completely by plastic compound before the actual pressing operation. The actual material forming process by the pressing operation is thus independent in terms of time from the embedding of the elements in the plastic compound and one can completely or largely dispense with additional aids for positioning and fixing the elements. Simultaneously the elements are incorporated in the card body especially gently since they are already protected by the surrounding plastic compound during the pressing operation.
The advantages obtained with the invention are also to be seen in the fact that the apparatus for carrying out the method need not be elaborate. A pressing apparatus thus comprises only a die which is charged with plastic granular material and softened there, and a pressure ram for giving the softened plastic compound the desired shape. One can also mix additives locally with the plastic granular material in simple fashion for producing certain effects in the finished card body of the data carrier. Finally, a homogeneous distribution of the plastic material arises during the pressing operation without preferred directions in the molecular orientation which can lead to breaking points in the data carrier.
According to a first embodiment example of the invention one produces a data carrier containing in its interior an additional element, for example an electronic module for non-contacting data exchange. For this purpose the die is charged with a first quantity of plastic granular material and the element placed on the resulting first layer and covered with a second quantity of plastic granular material, so that the element is located between two layers and surrounded completely by plastic material. The granular material is then softened and pressed with the pressure ram to form the card body.
According to a further embodiment example of the invention one produces a data carrier containing an additional element located partly on the surface of the card body, for example an electronic module for contacting data exchange. For this purpose the die is charged with a measured quantity of plastic granular material, and the element either embedded in the plastic granular material at the desired position or pressed into the softened granular material with the help of the pressure ram.
According to a third embodiment example of the invention the die or pressure ram has raised areas for forming recesses, when the softened plastic material is pressed, for receiving elements in the card body. In this case the elements are incorporated in the card body in a separate method step.
Finally, according to a further embodiment example of the invention the data carrier can be provided during the pressing operation with cover foils which are inserted in the mold cavity and on which additional elements are optionally mounted. For example a foil with magnetic stripes can be inserted in the die and the die then charged with plastic granular material which connects with the foil during the pressing operation, as in the laminating technique.
BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS
Some embodiment examples and further advantages of the invention will be explained more closely in connection with the following figures, in which
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Hohmann Arno
Hoppe Joachim
Frech Karl D.
Giesecke & Devrient GmbH
Stevens Davis Miller & Mosher L.L.P.
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